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I have been practising golf and tennis the last few days, so not much time for painting. But the sun is shining beautifully today so a bit more progress has been made:

 

 

More progress pics:

Just been adding some background to my Macaws oil painting. Here are three progress pics:

 

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE

So a new year begins and back to work. I have had many ideas over the festive break and cannot wait to get back to some serious artwork production. I started today a large oil painting entitled ‘Blue and Gold Macaws and Swamp Hibiscus’ (there is also a cheese plant bottom left corner). Here is the painted sketch on canvas measuring 40″ by 16″. I shall post progress, but before I begin to paint it in earnest I need the sketch to dry thoroughly so that I do not lose my way once I put colour on. So a couple of days finishing off a water colour illumination which has been kicking around for a few years will bridge the gap. Whilst visiting Banham Zoo between 2012 and 2014 I seriously watched the macaws they have on display – sometimes very grumpy and angry with loud screeches and flutters; and other times gently preening each other and softly clucking. But they are mostly up to mischief so I am trying to depict a sense of their enjoying life as a family group as if in the wild tropical jungle. Resource photographs were taken by me at Banham Zoo with one coming from a golfing friend, Martin Johns, to whom I am indebted. The background compilation is a complete fabrication within my imagination (although some of the plants I have seen), as too is the positioning of the birds.

This is the preliminary design sketch and unfinished water colour entitled ‘Nature Garden‘, whose illuminated composition is in the Ottoman Style, which I hope to complete in the next couple of days:

TWO LADY BARN OWLS – ROBBIE AND SUZIE. I have just spent the most wonderful 5 hours sitting in an aviary with two beautiful barn owls. I took over 400 photographs and just watched them. What extremely graceful creatures they are and so silent in their flight. I do intend to paint some Barn Owl pictures in future, but other commissions are due at this time.

THE COMBERTON LUMBERJACK – I watched sadly as a beautiful fur tree was cut down branch-by-branch. The devastation of branches falling was compounded by the squirrel drey which was nestling near the summit. As the blades of the chain saw edged nearer and nearer suddenly a grey squirrel flung itself from the branches and landed precariously on some flimsy hedge branches about 20 feet below. How was that for displacement!! I do hope it finds another home, although day by day mature trees are being felled in Comberton and soon we will be a village of nothing but house roofs, rather than interspersal of tree-tops. Tragic. I put some of the photographs together in a little film. The squirrel jumped too quickly for my camera to snap him, so I have added one of my other squirrel-leap pictures to help illustrate the drama. Watch carefully in the second picture.

Today the Stinking Iris buds in my little wild garden came into flower. They are very faded, although new flowerheads. But it is lovely to see them. Also, I keep putting off the pulling up of a huge teasle plant and gigantic thistle which the Goldfinches still visit and eat from every day. All the aquatic plants in my little wild pond are also still growing vigorously – most unusual.

 

 

Had to re-start my bee orchids project (for Paxton Pits Nature Reserve for Coasters) as I completely forgot about optical planning (deciding beforehand how to paint, which colours to use and in what order, etc), so it was mucked-up. I have not messed up a picture all year, so I think all the 22 exhibitions and endless commissions are taking their toll! Still two more commissions to go before mid-December, then I shall have a month’s rest!

Have redrawn my orchids, but in a simpler composition so that I can complete it quicker, as time is short. Here are some progress pictures:

 

These are the special coasters for The Friends of Paxton Pits which will be sold in the Visitor Centre Shop at the Nature Reserve. So why not pop along and buy some for your nature-loving friends. These are the four pictures in a boxed set:

 

 

Just spent three exhausting days (4 to 6 November 2014) at Cambridge Botanic Gardens under the tutelage of Ian Loe (insect artist extraordinaire). I had a wonderful time, albeit now seeing not a lot after total concentration on miniscule paint strokes. My effort at portraying a male and female emperor moth is reasonable, but I could do better! This reinforced my need to learn to paint quicker. As you can see, I only managed to complete half of each insect (knowing how slowly I paint I thought this would enable me to complete the picture at a later date!)